Notre Dame Pounds Navy 50-10 in Dublin

September 1, 2012

Notre Dame's trip to Ireland could not have gone much better.

The Fighting Irish eased in their new quarterback and even got a touchdown from a 300-pound defensive lineman.

Theo Riddick and George Atkinson both ran for two scores and defensive end Stephon Tuitt returned a fumble 77 yards for another TD as Notre Dame routed Navy 50-10 in Saturday's season opener in Ireland.

A crowd of 49,000, mostly visiting Americans, filled Dublin's Aviva Stadium for the first U.S. college game in Ireland since 1996, when the same two teams played in the Emerald Isle Classic.

Brindza Kicks No. 22 Irish Past Purdue 20-17

Tommy Rees spent most of Saturday watching Notre Dame struggle with Purdue. Then he rescued the 22nd-ranked Irish.

Returning from a one-game suspension as a second stringer, the former starting quarterback got one chance and produced a last-minute drive that led to a 20-17 victory over the Boilermakers.

A starter for the final 12 games of 2011, he didn't have time to ponder what his performance might mean for the future.

"I was just thinking we've got to win this game," he said to NBC's Alex Flanagan after the game.

With first-year starter Everett Golson a bit shaken up and having trouble gripping the ball, Rees came in and moved the Irish into position for Kyle Brindza's 27-yard field goal with seven seconds to go.

Irish Upset #10 Michigan State On The Road, 20-3

Everett Golson threw a touchdown pass and ran for a score in the first half to help No. 20 Notre Dame beat No. 10 Michigan State 20-3 Saturday night.

The Fighting Irish (3-0) snapped a six-game losing streak against ranked teams and beat a top-10 opponent for the first time in seven years.

The Spartans (2-1) had won 15 straight at home. The streak included a win over the Irish in 2010 on a fake field goal in overtime.

Notre Dame is off to its best start since 2002 when Tyrone Willingham won his first eight games as its coach. The Irish opened 0-2 last year and 1-3 the season before in Kelly's debut before bouncing back to finish with eight wins.

No crazy comebacks this year by Michigan against Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish didn't even let Denard Robinson and the Wolverines get into the end zone this year.

Manti Te'o had two interceptions as the 11th-ranked Fighting Irish picked off five Michigan passes and forced a fumble, and backup quarterback Tommy Rees sparked the Notre Dame offense in a 13-6 win over the Wolverines Saturday night.

"A great team win for our guys," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said. "Defensively what can I say? Six turnovers. Limited who we feel is one of the most dynamic offensive players in the country to no touchdowns. Just an incredible performance by our defense."

No. 9 Irish Overpower Miami 41-3 at Soldier Field

October 6, 2012

Cierre Wood and George Atkinson III gave Notre Dame its first 100-yard rushing duo in a decade, and Everett Golson came off the bench to lead the No. 9 Irish to a 41-3 victory over Miami on Saturday night.

The Irish improved to 5-0 for the first time since 2002. Their 587 yards of offense was a season high, and their 376 yards rushing was their most since Nov. 11, 2000. Wood had 118 yards rushing and two touchdowns, and Atkinson added 123 yards and another score.

"We felt like we found a way to run the football today," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said. "Our game plan was situated on running the football, which equals time of possession for us. We felt like if we could keep them from getting the big plays, and we could run the football, that was going on our recipe for success

#7 Irish Stop #17 Stanford 20-13 in OT

Notre Dame knew what was coming. Stanford doesn't get cute inches from the goal line.

And after three years of getting pushed around by the Cardinal, the Fighting Irish pushed back, winning the most important shoving match they've had all season.

Or did they?

A wall of Notre Dame defenders stopped Stepfan Taylor inches from the end zone on fourth down in overtime and the seventh-ranked Irish remained unbeaten with a 20-13 victory against the No. 17 Cardinal on a soggy Saturday at Notre Dame.

No. 5 Notre Dame Tops BYU 17-14

October 20, 2012

Theo Riddick is Notre Dame's smallest running back but Brigham Young learned he has no shortage of power.

The 5-11, 200-pound Riddick ran for a career-high 143 yards against a Cougars defense that entered the game third in the nation against the rush. More importantly, Riddick sparked a ground game that ground out 270 yards, with his housemate, Cierre Wood, getting 114 yards and George Atkinson III scoring the go-ahead touchdown as the fifth-ranked Irish rallied for a 17-14 win Saturday.

"As a team, this was special," Riddick said. "We showed that we can run the ball."

No. 5 Irish Defeat No. 8 Oklahoma, 30-13

October 27, 2012

Manti Te'o and No. 5 Notre Dame don't care whether people believe in them or not. They're just out to keep winning.

Everett Golson threw for 177 yards and plunged in for the decisive 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, Te'o bolstered his Heisman Trophy candidacy with a late interception and No. 5 Notre Dame beat No. 8 Oklahoma 30-13 on Saturday night to remain undefeated.

Despite winning their first seven games for the first time in a decade, the Fighting Irish came in as the underdogs but certainly didn't play like it.

"What we'd been hearing was a lot of people didn't think we could win this game. That kind of just added that fuel to my fire that was already burning," said Golson, who returned after sitting out last week's win against BYU because of a concussion.

No. 4 Irish Fly Past Eagles, 21-6, to Reach 10-0

Alabama's loss cleared out one of the teams in the way of Notre Dame's 2012 title hopes. An hour later, the fourth-ranked Fighting Irish avoided one of their peskiest obstacles of years past.

Everett Golson ran for a touchdown and threw for two more on Saturday night to help Notre Dame beat Boston College 21-6, giving the Irish a workmanlike victory over a rival that had twice before ended their drive to a national championship.

"You can't come out and worry about another team that lost. You have to be focused on the task at hand," Notre Dame cornerback Bennett Jackson said. "Wins don't come easy. Boston College plays us hard every year."

No. 3 Irish Overpower Wake Forest, 38-0

Against Wake Forest, the Fighting Irish reinforced Kelly's faith in his team, then third-ranked Notre Dame got some help later Saturday night.

Oregon and Kansas State, the two teams ahead of the Irish in the AP and BCS rankings, each lost. Now Notre Dame will control its own fate as it tries to capture its first national title in 24 years.

Earlier in the day, Everett Golson threw three touchdown passes, and Cierre Wood scored on a 68-yard run, as the Irish beat Wake Forest 38-0 to finish the season undefeated at home for the first time since 1998.

Irish Title Hopes Halted By Crimson Tide, 42-14

January 7, 2013

Unbeaten and top-rated Notre Dame's first crack at a Bowl Championship Series title game didn't exactly end the way the Irish (12-1) hoped. But credit second-ranked and once-beaten Alabama, a veteran at these kinds of games, for making all the right moves in a 42-14 victory at Sun Life Stadium that handed the Tide its third BCS crown in four seasons.

It started on a tough note for the Irish, as Alabama (13-1) roared out of the gate to a 28-0 halftime lead after scoring on its first three possessions and rolling up 202 yards in the first period.

Notre Dame, meanwhile, struggled early on both sides of the ball. By halftime the Irish had already given up more points than they had in any game this season. The most yards Notre Dame gave up this season was 379; Alabama cracked the 500 mark early in the fourth quarter.